Nervilia kotschyi (Rchb.f.) Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 45: 404 (1911).
Homotypic Synonyms:
Pogonia kotschyi Rchb.f., Oesterr. Bot. Z. 14: 338 (1864).).
Description:
Erect terrestrial herb 8–42 cm tall, glabrous except for lip and subterranean parts. Tuber up to 14–32 mm in diameter, subspherical or ovoid, (3)4–6-noded.Leaf solitary, appearing after flowering, prostrate or erect (var. purpurata), (2.3)3–17 cm long and (1.6)2.5–16 cm wide, broadly cordate or sometimes ovate, acute to apiculate, glabrous, 6–25-veined, often dark olive-green above and purple beneath, sometimes with silvery lines along the veins on the upper surface, usually heavily pleated and raggedly keeled on the pleats, keels often purple, if keels absent then leaves green on both surfaces and not pleated (N. sakoae); petiole c. 0–6 cm long, sulcate with 1–2 sheathing cataphylls when young. Scape erect, terete, (1)2–8(12)-flowered, with 2–4 sheathing cataphylls, the uppermost sometimes bract-like and up to 25 mm long. Flowers greenish with purple veins; bracts 7–25 × 1–2 mm linear, acuminate. Sepals and petals subequal, linear-lanceolate, acute, greenish; lateral sepals slightly oblique, (8)12–26 × 3–3.5 mm; petals slightly shorter than sepals. Lip greenish-white with purple venation, 10–19 × 7–12 mm, elliptic, obscurely 3-lobed, bearing 2 parallel fleshy pubescent ridges running from base of lip to base of mid-lobe; side lobes shortly triangular, acute or subacute, erect, enclosing the column; mid-lobe ovate-triangular or triangular often with an irregular callus in the middle, acute or subacute, recurved. Column curved, 7–11.5 mm long, clavate, glabrous; anther front rim with two protruding teeth; pollinia yellow, c. 2 mm long; ovary c. 4 mm long; capsule 8–13 mm long.
Notes:
Flowering specimens are difficult to determine to variety. The following are specimens for which the material is inadequate for determination at infraspecific level.
Habitat:
In grasslands and rocky ridges in poor sandy to limey soils in deep shade at elevations of 1200 to 2200 meters
Distribution:
Trop. & S. Africa, Madagascar
Key to the varieties of the Nervilia kotschyi
Images:
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| Botanical Drawing / Herbarium |
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| Photograph copyright Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Herbarium Jany Renz Image used with kind permission. |
